Orioles reportedly interested in Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner

Yankees are receiving interest in Brett Gardner from within the division. (Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

OXON HILL, MD - The Yankees have fielded numerous trade offers for Brett Gardner, but would Brian Cashman really deal him within the American League East?

FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reported Wednesday that the Orioles see Gardner as a potential fit in their outfield, though Baltimore would want the Yankees to pay down some of his contract, which calls for him to earn $25 million over the next two years.

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Cashman declined to say whether the Orioles have inquired about Gardner, but the general manager said he wouldn't hesitate to deal Gardner within the division if he felt it was the best move for the Yankees.

"I think I've demonstrated that I am not afraid to trade with anybody," Cashman said. "I think there are teams - within the division, mostly - that have been afraid to deal with us or unwilling to deal with us. I've been around enough - this is my 20th year as GM - and I've made trades with the Mets and I've traded with the Red Sox. If I can trade with the Red Sox and the Mets, I can trade with the Orioles. I can trade with anybody.

"If it's in our best interest whether it's short- or long-term, it doesn't matter what the other teams get. Does it make sense for us? If it happens to be them, I don't really care."

In fact, Cashman revealed that he had trade talks with Baltimore before this past summer.

"I dealt with the Orioles on Nova during the trade deadline," Cashman said. "They chose to go in a different direction, but I wasn't unwilling to trade Nova to the Orioles. My trade history, I assume I've traded with every team in the game."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he hadn't heard about his team's interest in Gardner, but questioned whether the Yankees would truly trade him to a division foe.

"They wouldn't trade with us," Showalter said. "Unless it was somebody they wanted to pass off on us. Tried that before."

NO CLOSER TO DEAL

The waiting game for Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen continued Wednesday, though Cashman said he has spoken with the agents for both closers since making his offers to them Tuesday.

"We are in negotiations that are active," Cashman said. "I have offers out to players but it's not a race to whoever takes this first."

Chapman continues to be the Yankees' preference between the two as he wouldn't cost them their first-round draft pick, which moved up from 17 to 16 after the Rockies signed Ian Desmond. The GM clarified that although he has offers out to both closers, the Yankees have no intention to sign both pitchers.

Speculation at the Winter Meetings was that Jansen would wait for Chapman to sign before making a decision, and while Chapman's agents have conveyed a time frame they would prefer to have, things can often change in free agency.

"What the time frame is and the pressure points that they're dealing with, only they can speak tom" Cashman said. "I know we're just participating in their free agency. We'll either be successful in our efforts or we will not be. We just have to let their process play out."

If the Yankees are unsuccessful in signing either closer, they could allocate that money toward other areas, though Cashman said it's not a lock that they would do so.

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"Hal told me how much we can spend, then obviously trading (Brian) McCann gave me a little more to spend," Cashman said. "But it doesn't mean it's going to get spent if we don't get one of these closers."

RULE 5

The Winter Meetings conclude Thursday with the Rule 5 Draft, though the Yankees won't be adding any players as the Matt Holliday signing pushed their roster to the 40-man limit. Cashman said he "wouldn't be surprised" if the Yankees lost players in the draft.